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NDP MP Pat Martin unapologetic for Twitter tantrum

New Democrat MP Pat Martin aired his frustrations with the Conservatives — and an individual online critic — in a profanity-laced tirade on Twitter while he was sitting in the House of Commons.

NDP MP Pat Martin says his Twitter account wasn't hacked and that it was actually himself who tweeted using the F-word. (Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

By Joanna Smith Ottawa Bureau

Thu., Nov. 17, 2011

OTTAWA — New Democrat MP Pat Martin aired his frustrations with the Conservatives — and one online critic — with an expletive-filled tantrum on Twitter while he was sitting in the House of Commons.

“This is a f---ing disgrace . . . closure again. And on the Budget! There’s not a democracy in the world that would tolerate this jackboot s---,” Martin tweeted Wednesday night when Conservative MPs shut down parliamentary debate on the bill implementing the spring federal budget.

“F--- you,” Martin (Winnipeg Centre) then replied to someone on Twitter who called him a socialist with a foul mouth.

The curse words travelled quickly through the Twitterverse on Wednesday night — making Martin’s name a trending topic for Canada on the social media site — but the MP told the Star on Thursday he would not delete or apologize for tweeting about his troubled feelings.

“I don’t apologize for that. I don’t retract it. It is a f---ing disgrace, what they’re doing,” Martin said of the multiple times Conservatives have limited debate on bills this fall. “They’re running roughshod over everything that is good and decent about our parliamentary democracy and Canadians should be outraged and their elected representatives on their behalf should be outraged.”

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Interim NDP Leader Nycole Turmel called his language inappropriate, but backed up his message.

“His language was not appropriate and could have been offensive to some,” Turmel said in a statement emailed by her spokesman, Karl Bélanger. “That said, the Conservatives’ actions are not appropriate in a democracy and offensive to all Canadians.”

Martin said he would never use that kind of language in the Commons, where the NDP has obeyed a self-imposed heckling ban since the spring election, but argued Twitter is different.

“We don’t heckle. We don’t use vulgar language. We behave in the (Commons),” said Martin, who is known for his bombastic style of speaking and recently used a simile involving beaver testicles in Question Period to express his dismay over the Canadian Wheat Board losing its monopoly.

Martin acknowledged he is still trying to figure out how Twitter works and said the NDP would probably do well to issue some guidelines for members of caucus who use social media.

Bélanger wrote that “We are working with our MPs on an ongoing basis to improve the many skills they need to do their job on behalf of their constituents.”

Martin also admitted there is a difference between voicing his frustration with his political opponents and swearing at an individual Twitter follower, which he does regret.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Martin sighed when asked the question. “But I could (tell) from the tone this was some religious right activist kind of activist who are hounding me quite regularly and I was just in no mood to take any guff, I guess, but no, you’re right, I probably shouldn’t have told whoever that guy is to f--- off.”

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